Yang to his Yin
by Sanura Bey
Summary: Naruto wasn't the only child with a tailed beast in him. His older sister, Akari, has the ten-tailed wolf sealed inside her. As Akari goes through her life as a shinobi, she must balance the sealed beast, her shinobi life, and being a normal teenage girl.
1. Enter: Akari and Naruto Uzumaki!

**Twelve years ago, a nine-tailed fox and a ten-tailed wolf suddenly appeared in the Villiage Hidden in the Leaves. Their tails lashed out, smashing mountains and sending tidal waves crashing to the shores. They used their chakra of fire and ice in perfect harmony against the ninja who rose up to defend their village. The pair were angry and bloodthirsty for revenge for many unknown reasons.**

* * *

"Hold the attack and wait for the Fourth Hokage!" one ninja ordered his comrades.

"They're getting closer!" another alerted them. "Don't let them near the village!" A giant toad with a pipe in his mouth appeared and faced off the two biju. On top of the toad was a single man.

* * *

 **One shinobi faced the two biju in mortal combat. He sacrificed his life to capture the two beasts and seal it in two human bodies. This ninja was known as the Fourth Hokage.**

* * *

Two children were crying laying in the center of what looked like an altar of some kind. Candles surrounded them and two seals were on their bellies. They were the same, yet different at the same time, yet each held the beasts in the small children.

* * *

The Third Hokage watched as a nurse held a red-headed infant in her arms and stared down at the younger blond newborn. She looked up at him, wanting to be absolutely sure of his decision. He nodded at her and she placed the one-year-old next to her screaming brother. The red-head looked at the baby and moved herself closer to him and placed her small hand on his clenched fist. He smiled as the newborn calmed enough to finally open his big blue eyes and stare at his elder sister who stared at him with her own blue eyes. With that being seen, Sarutobi knew he'd keep the children together despite others saying it was a bad idea.

* * *

Twelve years later...

Naruto and I ran in the street, laughing and holding our paint cans. Naruto had his orange jacket tied around his waist revealing his black shirt underneath. I had paint on my purple top and black pants. My hair, which normally hung down to frame my face, was in a high ponytail to it wouldn't get messy with me and my baby brother's latest prank.

"Naruto, Akari, get back here!" One of the ninjas behind us ordered. "When I get my hands on you!"

"You've crossed the line this time, Naruto, Akari!" Naruto and I shared a grin before jumping up from the ground then from building to building to avoid getting caught.

"Give it up!" Naruto laughed at them. "You're just because you don't have the guts to do what we do!" The "line" we crossed was painting the faces of the Hokages on the mountain overlooking the village. "Do you? Losers!"

"Wannabes!" I called behind me. "You'll never catch us! Not in a million years!" We jumped back to the ground then back to the buildings before going back to where we were before and hiding behind a sheet that looked like the boards behind us. We saw the ninjas jump to the ground before following where we had been.

"Naruto! Akari!"

"Hold on!" We dropped the sheets and gave each other a high five at our escape.

"That was too easy," Naruto laughed rubbing the back of his head.

"I think they're getting dumber," I commented with a wide grin on my face as I laced my fingers behind my head under my ponytail.

"Oh yeah, Naruto? Akari?" We both jumped up, turned, and landed on our butts looking at Iruka-sensei.

"Where'd you come from, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him

"No, what are you two doing here?" Iruka-sensei asked us. "You're supposed to be in class."

* * *

"I'm at the end of my rope you two," Iruka-sensei scolded us. He'd tied us up and sat us in front of our class. I'd started class late so I'd be able to stay with my younger brother. Even failed the graduation a couple times to make sure we stayed together. "You both failed the graduation test last time and the time before that. Tomorrow you got another chance, and you're messing up again. Akari, your his older sister you're supposed to set a good example."

"Humph!" Naruto looked away from him in stubbornness and I sighed before falling back and laying down. Iruka-sensei glared at us in his annoyance before turning to look at the rest of our class.

"Fine! Because you two missed it, everyone will review the transformation jutsu!" The students groaned in annoyance and we all lined up.

* * *

"All right, Sakura here. Let's do it. Transform!" Sakura transformed into Iruka-sensei.

"You transformed into me. Good." Iruka-sensei made a note on his pad. I stood between Naruto and Shikamaru with my hands behind my head as I watched them. Out of everyone to pick to transform into, Sakura decided to be a brown-nose and transform into Iruka-sensei. I don't remember him saying we had to transform into him, not that I was really paying attention. Sakura undid the jutsu and cheered for herself.

"Yes! I did it! Yes!" She turned to the bluenette next to Naruto and blushed. "Sasuke, did you see that?"

"Next, Sasuke Uchiha." Sakura went to the end of the line and Sasuke stepped forward. Every girl had a crush on the broody clan heir that couldn't be bothered to even talk to the rest of us. Sasuke made the hand sign and transformed into Iruka-sensei. "Uh, good." Sasuke transformed back to himself and went to the end of the line.

"Next, Naruto Uzumaki."

"This is a total waste of time, Naruto," Shikamaru told him.

"We always pay for your screw ups," Ino added.

"Like I care," Naruto said moving forward. Naruto made the hand sign and bent low. "Transform!" He transformed into an older girl form of himself, smoke covering the private bits, and winked at Iruka-sensei. I hung my head and sighed as Iruka-sensei was thrown back with a major nosebleed.

"What the hell is that?" Shikamaru asked.

"Just don't look and you won't be scared," I told him before I could hear Naruto transform back to himself with a laugh.

"Gotcha! That's my sexy jutsu!" Naruto laughed.

"Cut the stupid tricks!" Iruka-sensei yelled at him. "This is your last warning!"

* * *

After school, our punishment was to clean the Hokage's faces.

"This sucks. Loser," Naruto mumbled.

"Just wipe it up," I told him as I scrubbed the stone face of the Fourth Hokage.

"You're not going home until you've cleaned off every single drop of paint," Iruka-sensei shouted down to us.

"So what?" Naruto called up to him. "It's not like there's anyone waiting at home for us!" I could feel Iruka-sensei's eyes watching us as we washed off the paint.

"Naruto? Akari?" he called down to us gently.

"What do you want now, sensei?" Naruto asked him angrily.

"Well, I was just thinking. Maybe after you clean this all up, I could take you out for some ramen. The good stuff. What do you think?" I could almost feel Naruto brighten as he stared up at our sensei.

"Huh?" Naruto asked excitedly. "Now that's some serious motivation! We'll have this clean in no time!"

* * *

That night, I sat next to Naruto who sat between Iruka-sensei and I as we ate dinner.

"Naruto, Akari," Iruka-sensei started saying.

"Hm?" we asked him.

"Why would you do that to the Hokage faces?" he asked us. "I mean, you know who the Hokage are, don't you?"

"Of course we do. Who doesn't?" I asked him.

"Everybody knows," Naruto added after he downed his ramen. "They were the greatest shinobi of their time, right? The best of the best. Undefeated ninja champs. And the Fourth Hokage's the one who saved the village from the nine-tailed fox and the ten-tailed wolf. He was the most amazing."

"Then why?" Iruka-sensei asked us.

"Because I'm going to be greater than any of them," Naruto told him. "Me. Naruto. The next Hokage. A ninja legend! Then everyone will have to stop disrespecting us and look up to us. Believe it!" Iruka-sensei just stared at Naruto as I stayed quiet.

"Then why did you do it, Akari?" he asked me and I just grinned at him.

"Because it seemed fun." I don't think Iruka-sensei believed me, but I didn't really care.

"Uh, by the way, I kind of want to ask a little favor, sensei," Naruto said pulling the attention from me.

"You want another bowl?" he asked Naruto knowingly.

"Uh-uh," Naruto denied. "I want to try on your headband," Naruto begged with his hands in front of his face. "Come on, please?"

"Oh, this?" Iruka-sensei asked gripping the metal of his headband between his finger as he grinned down at us. "No way. You can only wear the Leaf headband when you finally graduate from the Academy and become a ninja. You've got to pass the test tomorrow."

"That is so uncool!" Naruto told him and I laughed at him.

"Hey, is that why you took off your goggles?" Iruka-sensei asked him with a laugh.

"Uh," Naruto flustered for words.

"I want another bowl!" I demanded, saving my little brother from his own words.

* * *

The next morning, Naruto and I sat in class, on time for once, as Iruka-sensei told us what we had to do to graduate from the Academy.

"We will now start the final exam," Iruka-sensei told us. "When your name is called, proceed to the testing room. The final test will be on the close jutsu." I flinched and looked at Naruto who had his hands dug in his hair. We'd stayed up all night practicing and studying every jutsu we could think the graduation exam would be over. But this was still Naruto's worst technique. I sighed before running my hands through my hair.

"Looks like I'm not graduating again," I mumbled.

"You know, you could have passed a long time ago and been out of here. What's the point of staying?" Shikamaru asked me and I just looked at him.

"You probably wouldn't understand," I told him leaning my head on the table in front of us. "You're too lazy and selfish."

"You're so annoying," he groaned and I just closed my eyes. I watched as Naruto walked out of the testing room angrily and I sighed. That told me all I'd needed to know.

"Akari Uzumaki." I rose from my seat and walked into the testing room. Sitting in front of me was Mizuki-sensei and Iruka-sensei. I made the hand sign and gathered up my chakra.

"Clone jutsu!" There was a poof of smoke and I looked beside me to see three clones each with different hair colors and skin colors. There was a tan, green-haired me, a dark, blue-haired me, and a pale, blonde me. "Whoops." I laced my fingers behind my head and shrugged.

"You fail!" Iruka-sensei yelled at me and I undid the jutsu before walking to the door.

"Akari." I turned to the two sensei and waited for them to speak. "Why did you do that? Why did you fail on purpose?" Iruka-sensei asked me.

"Iruka-sensei, why do you think she would fail on purpose?" Mizuki-sensei asked him. "She's attempted the graduation exam three times so you know she wants to be a ninja."

"Mizuki-sensei, you've seen her grades and her skills. You and I both know that she could have passed last year with the students in her age group, but she stayed behind," Iruka-sensei told him.

"Have you ever had someone that you wouldn't leave behind? No matter what it cost you?" I asked and they just watched me. "I won't leave him behind like the rest of you have." I walked out of the room and back to my seat. I glanced at Naruto who was looking at me curiously. I shook my head before placing it on the table in front of me.

* * *

After everyone had graduated, Naruto sat on the swing and watched the parents of our former classmates fawn over their new shinobi children under the watchful eyes of Iruka-sensei and the Hokage. I leaned on the tree and watched them with no emotion on my face. It was always like this, kids did something their parents could be proud of and we stood on the sidelines and watched them. Having no parents of our own, we'd never know the feeling.

"Why us?" Naruto asked quietly and I looked down at him sadly.

"Don't worry, Naruto. We'll graduate one day," I assured him. I moved to his side and wrapped my arm around his shoulders and pulled him to me.

"There. Do you see them?" I heard one of the mothers ask. I glanced up to see two women staring at us.

"It's those kids. I heard they're the only ones who failed."

"Hmph. Well, it serves them right."

"Just imagine what would happen if they became ninjas. I mean, they're the kids who..." Naruto moved away from me and put his goggles back on his head where he'd planned to put his forehead protector.

"Shh. We're not allowed to talk about that." Naruto and I heard someone stand next to us and we looked up to see Mizuki-sensei.

* * *

We sat on the edge of a building overlooking the village with Mizuki-sensei next to us.

"Iruka-sensei's tough, but he's not against you two," Mizuki-sensei assured us.

"Then why?" Naruto asked him. "Why only us?"

"He wants you to be strong with all his heart, but that will never happen if he goes easy on you." I thought about Mizuki-sensei's words for a moment. "He's like you, you know? No parents, no family." I looked at Naruto and held his hand tightly. We had a family. We had each other, but sometimes I think he wanted more than that.

"But this time, we really wanted to graduate," Naruto mumbled.

"Then I guess I have to tell you," Mizuki-sensei chuckled.

"Tell us?" I asked him curiously. "Tell us what?"

"It's a secret, but I'm going to let you in on it."

* * *

After getting to the meeting place Mizuki-sensei told us we both sat down and opened the scroll.

"Let's see," I said reading the scroll. "The first technique is multi-shadow clone jutsu."

"Ugh, not this again!" Naruto cried out slapping his forehead with his hand and I laughed. "It's my worst jutsu!"

"Looks like you'll learn how to make clones or you don't graduate this year," I told him. "Shall we start?"

* * *

A couple of hours later, Naruto and I were sitting down panting the scroll was across his back. We looked up when we heard someone walk up to us.

"It's all over," Iruka-sensei chuckled and we grinned up at him with laughter of our own. "Huh?"

"Damn, only one jutsu," I said.

"Got us already." Naruto stood up before helping me up. "Not bad. You're quick, sensei. Akari's right, we only had time to learn one technique."

"Not the same one, of course. What would be the fun in that?" I asked him. Iruka-sensei just stared down at us in shock. "Listen Iruka-sensei. We're going to show you these amazing jutsu, and you're going to let us graduate." Naruto looked at me with an excited grin and I couldn't help but grin back at him.

"Then everything will be OK!" I agreed, looking back at Iruka-sensei. "That's the way it works, right? Anyone who learns a jutsu from the scroll passes and becomes a shinobi."

"Huh?" Iruka-sensei asked, his eyes widening. "Where'd you get that idea?"

"Mizuki-sensei told us about it," Naruto told him happily, but something was off. "Believe it! Mizuki-sensei told us where to find the scroll and this place..." Naruto seemed to finally notice Iruka-sensei's shocked face.

"Did we do something wrong, Iruka-sensei?" I asked him worried and curious. Iruka-sensei suddenly looked behind him.

"Look out!" Iruka-sensei pushed the two of us out of the way before he was attacked by a barrage of kunai.

"I see you found our little hideaway." I followed the voice to stare at Mizuki-sensei in shock and fear.

"So that's the way it is, huh? I should've known." Iruka-sensei glared up at the silver-haired chunin.

"Naruto! Give me the scroll, now!" Mizuki-sensei ordered.

"Wait a minute," Naruto said, both of us still confused. "What's going on here?"

"Naruto, Akari, don't let Mizuki get the scroll!" Iruka-sensei ordered pulling a kunai out of his leg. "It contains forbidden jutsu that could put this village in great danger. Mizuki used you two to get the scroll for himself for his own power!" Did we really spend the last few hours learning forbidden jutsu?

"Naruto, Akari, Iruka's just trying to scare you because he doesn't want you two to have the scroll," Mizuki-sensei told us and I saw Naruto look at Iruka-sensei in shock. Iruka-sensei was the only person who ever treated us as normal kids. While everyone whispered about us like we couldn't hear them, Iruka-sensei actually acted like he'd cared about us.

"Stop lying Mizuki!" Iruka-sensei yelled at him before turning to us. "Don't let him trick you two!" Mizuki-sensei laughed down at us.

"Oh, I'll tell you who's really lying." Mizuki-sensei's words startled me.

"No, Mizuki!" Iruka-sensei looked scared and angry now. What was he so afraid of?

"They've been lying to the two of you your whole life, Naruto, Akari, since the decree 12 years ago."

"What decree?" Naruto asked, his face paler as I'm sure mine was.

"Everyone knows except you two. Iruka's trying to hide it from you even now. He'd do anything to shut me up."

"What is this decree? Tell us!" I ordered him, my hands clenched. I didn't even notice when I broke the skin.

"Why does everyone else know about it?" Naruto asked him.

"Don't tell them! It's forbidden!"

"The decree is no one can tell you the nine-tailed fox and the ten-tailed wolf is inside the two of you." My eyes widened in surprise. "The fox and wolf spirit that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village has taken over your bodies. You are the nine-tailed fox and the ten-tailed wolf."

"Stop it!"

"They've all been sneaking around hiding things from you your whole lives. Didn't you think it was strange how they treated the two of you? Like dirt, like they hated you just for being alive!"

"No!" Naruto denied angrily, tears filling his eyes. "No, no, no, no!"

"You're lying!" I shouted holding back my own tears.

"Naruto! Akari!"

"That's why you will never be accepted in this village. Even your beloved sensei hates your guts!" Mizuki-sensei told us smirking. We never noticed him pulling one of the large shurikens from his back and spinning it. "Die, Naruto, Akari!" He threw the shuriken at us and I pushed Naruto.

"Get out of here!" I ordered. He fell on his ass and started crawling away. I got behind him and pushed him up so he could run away when Iruka-sensei called out to us.

"Naruto, Akari, get down!" We both fell to the ground, me covering Naruto, and waited for the stabbing pain. When I felt nothing, I opened my eyes and looked behind me. I stared at Iruka-sensei in shock and he shook and groaned in pain, blood falling from his mouth.

"Iruka...sensei..." I said slowly as blood fell on me and Naruto.

"Wh-Why?" Naruto asked him just as confused as I was.

"Because we're the same," Iruka-sensei told us. "When I lost my parents, no one seemed to care. They didn't have time for me. They just forgot I was there. My grades dropped. I became the class clown. I just wanted them to see me and to know my name. My schoolwork wasn't good enough to get their attention, so I did crazy things. And then I had to pay for it. It was hard." Iruka-sensei's tears fell on us now as he told us his story. "I know that's how you feel, Naruto, Akari. You feel lonely and it hurts inside, and I could have been there for you more. I let you two down. I'm sorry. No one should have to suffer that much. No one should feel alone like that." Mizuki-sensei just laughed at Iruka's words.

"Don't make me laugh! Iruka always hated you! He was orphaned because the nine-tailed and ten-tailed wolf killed his parents, and those beasts are now inside the two of you!" Naruto looked back down at the ground. "He'd say anything to get the scroll from you." Naruto took off into the woods.

"Naruto!" Iruka-sensei called out.

"We weren't alone," I said quietly still looking up at Iruka-sensei. "We have each other." I took off after my baby brother.

"Akari!"

* * *

I watched Naruto stop and hide behind a tree before I sensed two others behind me. I quickly hide opposite Naruto right before Iruka-sensei crashed between us and skid along the ground. I saw Naruto skid to a stop in front of a tree, panting.

"It can't be," Iruka-sensei said as Naruto removed the scroll from his back. "How did you know? Naruto, how did you know?" A cloud of smoke covered Iruka-sensei and he became Mizuki-sensei. "That it was me, and not Iruka?" Naruto laughed before a cloud of smoke covered him and revealed Iruka-sensei.

"Because I'm Iruka."

"You're a fool," Mizuki-sensei told him. "Why are you protecting those freaks? Naruto is the fox and Akari is the wolf! They're the ones that wiped out your family."

"I don't care what you say," Iruka-sensei told him. "You're not getting your hands on that scroll." Is it true? Did Iruka-sensei really not care about us and only wanted the scroll? Did he hate us because of something we couldn't control? Because of something that was done to us?

"As if you could stop me. Don't you get it? Naruto and Akari are just like me."

"How's that?"

"They want the scroll for their own power and their own vengeance. That's how beasts are," Mizuki-sensei told him. "They'll pout all their rage into the scroll and destroy everything."

"You're right." I felt my heart break at Iruka-sensei's words. The one person who ever believed in us was lying. I don't know what was worse: pretending to like us or just ignoring us completely. I wrapped my arms around my knees and pulled them to my chest and laid my cheek on them. "That is how beasts are. But that's not who Naruto and Akari are." I gasped lightly as tears started to pool. "They're nothing like that. Naruto is one of a kind, works hard, out his whole heart into it. Akari has sacrificed her dreams to stay with her brother, making him feel like he wasn't alone, always pushing him to be his best. Sure they mess up sometimes, and everyone jumps them. But their suffering only makes them stronger. That's what separates them from being beasts. So you're wrong. They are nothing like the nine-tailed fox and the ten-tailed wolf. They're Akari and Naruto Uzumaki of the Village Hidden in the Leaves." I held my mouth over my hand to cover the sound of my crying.

"Hmph," I heard someone move and looked to see Iruka-sensei still on the ground. What was Mizuki-sensei doing? "You really believe that drivel? Iruka, I was going to save you for later, but I changed my mind. You're finished!" I heard the second large shuriken being spun and Mizuki-sensei attacking Iruka-sensei. I quickly moved from my spot and was joined by Naruto and we headbutted him away from Iruka-sensei, the shuriken thrown from his grasp. We skidded to a stop on the ground as Mizuki-sensei skid away from us. "Not bad, for little punks."

"If you ever lay a hand on our sensei," Naruto started telling him with a dark look in his eyes.

"We'll kill you!" I said angrily.

"Such big words. I can completely destroy you with a single move," Mizuki-sensei told us.

"Funny," I smirked. "I was just about to say the same thing," I said making a hand sign as Naruto did the same.

"Take your best shot, fool. We'll give it back to you a thousand fold!"

"Let's see you try!" Mizuki-sensei yelled at us. "Show me what you can do, nine-tailed fox and ten-tailed wolf!"

"Shadow close jutsu!"

"Clone jutsu!" Thousands of our clones surrounded Mizuki-sensei and I made the signs for the ram then the ox. "Ice style: ice sword!" each of my clones had an ice sword appear in their hands. Mizuki-sensei turned around and stared at all of us in confusion. "Wha... What is this?" Naruto and I called out to him multiple times as did all of our clones.

"If you're not coming,"

"Then we're going to come after you." Mizuki-sensei screamed in pain as we attacked him until he was unconscious.

* * *

By the time the sun was up, our clones were gone and Mizuki-sensei was beaten black and blue with cuts scattered on him.

"Sorry," Naruto chuckled rubbing the back of his head. "Looks like we kinda got carried away."

"Are you okay, Iruka-sensei," I asked him worriedly as I knelt in front of him.

"Yeah," Iruka-sensei told us and I sighed in relief. "Naruto, Akari, come here a minute. I've got something I want to give you." Naruto joined me at my side and we both stood up in front of him. "Close your eyes." We did as we were told. I heard him move around before I felt something on my head.

"Sensei, how much longer?" Naruto asked him impatiently.

"Ok, you can open your eyes now." We did as we were told to see his headband gone. "Congratulations. You graduate." We stared up at him in surprise. "And to celebrate, I have a surprise. We're going out for ramen tonight." I smiled up at him in happiness. "Huh?"

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto and I tackled him to the ground in our happiness. We all talked and laughed before going back to the village.


	2. A Lazying Day

**Hey guys! As I was typing the last chapter I noticed I really wanted to do 3rd POV so this story will be changing to 3rd POV instead of 1st. Hope you guys enjoy! Also, I'm still deciding on which team Akari should join. Should she be with her brother and team 7 so Kakashi can keep an eye on her like he does with Naruto? Or team 10 so we can get more Shikamaru/Akari time, but I feel like that would disrupt Ino-Shika-Cho. Or have her join team 9 by replacing Shino at least temporarily. What do you guys think?**

* * *

Akari had already gotten her picture taken and had it approved by the Hokage before she started her kunai throwing training. She wanted to be sure she was 100% confident she could hit the mark every time. She'd always been this way, ever since she was a child only it was geared towards protecting Naruto the best she could. They were taken care of until she was able to do small jobs around the village and take care of rent in the apartment provided to them by the village. She was so focused on what she was doing that she never noticed the person behind her. He watched her practice and noted the targets set up getting further and further away from her. Kunai were stuck in the trees and ground around the targets and there was at least one kunai in the center of each target. She'd landed a kunai in the center of the target before moving to a target further away. He looked her over as she threw another kunai. Her form was perfect, just as they'd been taught in school, and her aim was nearly flawless. So why was she practicing so hard on their day off? He noticed the

"What are you staring at, Shikamaru?" He froze at her words. He hadn't known she'd known he was there the entire time.

"What are you doing here? You know there are training grounds for this, right?" Shikamaru asked her and she glared as she turned back to the target she'd set up. She'd set herself up in a clearing far from the village so she wouldn't hear the whispers she know knew was because of something out of her control.

* * *

 _"The fox and wolf spirit that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village has taken over your bodies. You are the nine-tailed fox and the ten-tailed wolf. Didn't you think it was strange how they treated the two of you? Like dirt, like they hated you just for being alive! That's why you will never be accepted in this village."_

* * *

"I get enough trouble just walking through the street. I'm not about to invite more trouble in my life," she told him while throwing another kunai. He just watched her and took in her words. He'd seen the look both siblings received as well as heard the whispers like all the kids in their class had. Even his own parents would talk about it, but when they noticed him in the room they'd immediately stop talking about it and find new subjects to talk about.

"You don't have to do everything alone, you know?" he told her going to lay down next to her standing form. She stared down at him as he watched the clouds above them.

"You're a clan kid. What do you know about doing anything alone? You have a family to look after you. All I have is Naruto," she said before getting back into her training.

"What does me being in a clan have to do with anything?" He asked her confused.

"Are you serious?" She asked giving him a look. "Have you ever had to struggle just to make sure you can eat something? Most of the people in the village had to be talked into me even doing a basic job so I could pay rent or feed my brother. Someone like you couldn't understand what kind of life that is." He'd turned from the clouds to stare at her as she ranted. Her grip on the kunai had tightened and she seemed to grow angrier and angrier as she talked. She was right. He hadn't had to know any of that because his mom always had food on the table for him and his dad, and his dad made enough money as a shinobi to take care of them. Not to mention his dad was the clan head.

"You're right, I don't know what that's like," he told her and she looked down at him. She hadn't expected him to agree with her so quickly, but what did she know about the boy next to her? She knew as much about him as he knew about her: only what she saw in school. She moved to her kunai laying on the ground and in the targets and put them back in her kunai pouch on her right leg. She moved back to him after debating whether or not she should sit next to him and sat down. He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes before looking back up. "Lay down and relax for once."

"How do you know I don't relax?" She asked him.

"You're training on your day off. That tells me everything." She stared at him before laying down and staring at the clouds. They were silent for a moment before one of them finally spoke up.

"What are you training today? Don't you start back at the academy tomorrow?" He asked reminding her that no one really knew that she and Naruto had graduated the night before.

"I guess the news hasn't gotten out yet. Naruto and I passed and will be starting as a genin with everyone else tomorrow," she told him.

"When did that happen?" He asked her slightly shocked. Last he'd seen neither she nor Naruto had passed the exam at school.

"Last night. Iruka-sensei gave Naruto his headband and gave me mine this morning after I had my picture for my ID taken," I told him. The Hokage had told Naruto and me that the events of last night didn't need to get around so we had to keep quiet about it.

"Wow. I figured you could have graduated last year with your age group, but I honestly wasn't expecting Naruto to pass," Shikamaru said and Akari glared at him from the corner of her eyes.

"And why wouldn't Naruto pass?"

"Because the clone jutsu is one of his worst jutsu. How'd he pass?" he asked her and she smiled at his words. He wasn't wrong, but at the same time, he now had something to replace that jutsu.

"The same way you did. By proving himself." Shikamaru looked at her as she stared up at the clouds with her soft smile. He turned away from her and back up at the clouds. His mind had calmed, as it normally did, but he also thought about her words. How did she and Naruto pass yesterday after the graduation? His dad had to leave suddenly during the middle of the night, but when he came home he didn't say anything about what had happened. Is that how the Uzumaki siblings had proven themselves? What happened last night that they proved themselves? They continued watching the clouds talking about little things that passed through their minds or what the clouds looked like before finally parting for their own homes.

* * *

When Akari got home, Naruto was already eating ramen at their small table.

"Hey sis, you're back late," he said.

"Yea." She grabbed an apple and started munching on it while thinking about her day. It had started as planned but hadn't ended as she thought it would. She had talked with Shikamaru before at school, but she hadn't really gotten to know him. Maybe he wasn't as bad as she'd origianlly thought?


	3. Sasuke and Sakura: Friends or Foe?

The morning of the 15th, I found myself staring out my window. I was excited, yet worried about what would happen today. Naruto and I had been together all our lives and today could be the day we lose that. I sighed before looking at my calendar. Today was circled in thick marker. We were Ninjas now. Even if we weren't separated today, one of us could die on a mission. I grabbed my forehead protector and stared at it. This may be a time of peace, but that could always change and then we'd be on the front lines. I quickly got dressed, tying my forehead protector around my waist, and joined my brother, still in his pajamas, for breakfast. He drank milk from the carton, and I rolled her eyes at him while laughing.

"Guess I know what I'm not drinking," I joked. I grabbed an apple to eat and water to drink while Naruto changed before heading to the academy for the last time.

* * *

As we walked down the road, I noticed a poorly designed disguise (since when does wood go horizontally on a fence?) and sighed before a young boy jumped out in front of us.

"Fight me, here!" He tripped over his disguise and fell flat on his face.

"What're you doing, Konahamaru?" Naruto asked him. Konahamaru had started following Naruto around calling him his rival the same day I'd cloud watched with Shikamaru. I'd come across him a few times, and he always tried to attack Naruto.

"Very good, Naruto..." the boy said. "You're the man I expected you to be."

"I didn't do anything, you know..." Naruto tried telling him. The poor kid was so clumsy he was always tripping over his own feet when attacking.

"Let's fight fair!" Konohamaru insisted, making a hand sign.

"Sorry!" Naruto said rubbing the back of his head. "I've got an orientation to go to."

"An orientation meeting...?"

"Cause... as of today; we're Ninjas!" Naruto pointed to his forehead protector, and Konohamaru's mouth fell open in surprise. He looked at me noticed my forehead protector.

"We have to go," I reminded Naruto. "Or we're going to be late."

* * *

"You guys are actually showed up for something?" I looked up to see Shikamaru standing next to Naruto in the aisle next to him. I'd opted to sit at the table behind him.

"You know we graduated?" Naruto asked confused.

"I told him," I explained simply.

"When did you two talk about us graduating?" he asked confused.

"When you went to have your picture taken."

"I thought you went to train that day."

"I did." He stared at me confused before we heard two people shout "Goal!" I turned to see Sakura and Ino breathing heavily before Ino smirked at the pinkette.

"I won again, Sakura!"

"What're you saying...?" I rolled my eyes at the pair before turning back to one of the scrolls I'd brought with me. I'd stuck a few in my weapons pack before I'd left the house so I'd have something to do while we waited. Naruto had a crush on the pinkette while she, and all the other girls in the village, had a large crush on Sasuke Uchiha. It was the most annoying thing I'd ever seen. Didn't they know there were more important things than a single boy? I looked at Naruto as he rose to greet someone.

"Mo-morning Sakura!" he waved at her and she just pushed him out of the way with her small waist.

"Get outta the way!" she ordered before staring at the object of her affection.

"M-Morning Sasuke..." The dark-haired clan orphan turned to look at her. "Mind if I sit next to you?"

"Here they go," Shikamaru said sitting next to me.

"Wanna bet who gets hit first?" I asked him with a smirk while holding up a coin.

"What's the point in that?" he yawned before laying his head down on the desk.

"You're no fun," I said looking back down at my scroll. More girls joined the argument as I continued to read until Sakura's words made me look up again.

"Naruto! Don't glare at Sasuke!" I looked up to see Naruto squatted right in front of Sasuke glaring at him.

"Just beat him up, Sasuke!"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Just then, the kid in front of Naruto moved and hit him causing him to fall forward. My hand flew to my mouth as I tried to contain my laughter. The two boys were so close to each other that when Naruto fell Sasuke caught him... with his lips. The two quickly separated gagging and spitting everything they could out of their mouths.

"You jerk..."

"Naruto! I'll kill you!"

"My mouth is rotting!"

"Huh? Was that my fault?" the kid asked and I had to lay my head on the table to try and hide my quiet laughter. Of course, my shoulders were shaking so hard I'm surprised no one called me out on it.

* * *

After the little incident between Naruto and Sasuke (his Sasuke's fan club), Iruka-sensei showed up and smiled up at us.

"As of today, you've all become full-fledged Ninjas," he told us. "However, you're still Genin. The tough part's still to come! From here on, you'll be in a squad of three or four and carry out your missions under your Jonin teachers." _A squad of three or four?_ I could still be paired with Naruto! But what are the chances of that actually happening? "The groups have been determined so that the strength of the groups will be balanced." Iruka-sensei pulled out a paper from behind his back. "Now for the assignments!" He read off his list six teams of three of my former classmates. "Now then, next is Team Seven. Naruto Uzumaki! Sakura Haruno!" Naruto rose up in cheer while Sakura's head fell in disappointment. "Sasuke Uchiha!" This time it was Sakura's turn to cheer while Naruto's head fell.

"That's a bomb waiting to explode," I mumbled.

"Akari Uzumaki!" I stared at Iruka-sensei in shock. Of all the unexpected things to happen...

"Make sure not to get hit when the bomb explodes," Shikamaru told me and I sighed with a smile.

"Next is Team Eight. Hinata Hyuga!"

"Y-yes!"

"Kiba Inuzuka! Shino Aburame!" Sakura turned and gave a peace sign to Ino who was sitting on Shikamaru's other side. The blonde growled at her rival.

"Why is this happening...?"

"Why do women think that kind of guy's so great?" Shikamaru asked me.

"Don't you understand, Shikamaru?" Ino asked him.

"Well, I'm not a woman," he reminded her looking at me.

"Don't ask me," I told him. "I have more important things to worry about."

"That's why you're not popular among girls," she sighed.

"Because he's not a woman?" I asked her and Shikamaru laughed lightly.

"No!" she yelled at me. "I'm glad I'm not grouped with either of you!"

"Team Ten. Ino Yamanaka! Shikamaru Nara!" She looked down at Iruka-sensei in shock.

"Looks like we've been grouped together," Shikamaru said with a smirk and she glared at him.

"Choji Akimichi! That's all for the team division." Guess my team was the only team of four.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted while standing up. "Why does an exceptional student like me have to be in the same group with this guy?!"

"Sasuke has the best grades out of the male graduates," Iruka-sensei told him. "Naruto, you're at the bottom!" The other Genin laughed at him. "Of course, this is how it is when trying to balance the strength within groups. Take Akari and Sakura, while both are near the top of the class Akari's skills far surpass hers." Sakura turned her glare to me and I sighed. Iruka-sensei added another fuse to this bomb team of mine.

"Just don't get in my way, loser!" Sasuke ordered and I smacked the back of his head with my scroll. He turned and glared at me which I returned.

"Hey, what did you say?!" Naruto screamed at Sasuke.

"You want to fight?" Sasuke asked while still staring at me.

"Knock it off, Naruto!" Sakura ordered.

"You heard her, Sasuke," I added still glaring at him.

"In the afternoon," Iruka-sensei continued as though we hadn't interrupted him. "I'll introduce you to your Jonin teachers. You're dismissed until then!"


End file.
